OK, you’ve bought the champagne and chilled it. You’ve got noisemakers and party hats. You’ve even got the New Year’s Eve party meal ready to go.
But what about the next morning?
Make New Year’s Day even more special by making something unexpected to start the day.
Even a cold breakfast can be special if you take a few minutes to prepare something your family doesn’t usually have.
You could make something that celebrates your heritage, such as stollen or a strata.

From candy canes to peppermint bark, there’s plenty of peppermint to go around.

But there are other ways to enjoy the fresh wintery flavor. Chopped up candy canes can become the crunch in various baked dishes, and peppermint extract can be used in place of vanilla in dishes. Just remember to use a light hand with extract, for it can overwhelm other flavors.

Tired of making the same old foods for dinner? Looking for new treats to serve this holiday season? Want to support a good cause?

Possibility Playground in Port Washington has the answer to these questions — the “Cooking Possibilities” 10th anniversary edition cookbook.

The cookbook sold out after it was released in 2008, filled with favorite recipes from the community. And since that time, people have repeatedly asked for copies, said Stacy Peters, a member of the Possibility Playground committee.

Although we’ve entered the Christmas holiday season, it is still autumn and pumpkin and pumpkin-spiced foods are everywhere.

There are pumpkin lattes, pumpkin spice, pumpkin cocktails, not to mention the ever-popular pumpkin pie.

So there’s still time to incorporate pumpkin into meals. After all, it’s a savory ingredient that can star in soups, stews, pancakes, quick breads, lasagnas and more, but it also goes well in sweets, such as cookies and bars.

There’s nothing better — and easier — than a baked pasta dish to warm the body on a cold night.

After all, just thinking about a baked ziti or homemade macaroni and cheese is enough to get most people’s mouths watering.

But there are a few things to consider when making a baked pasta dish.

Think about the right type of noodle for the job. After all, a pasta with smooth sides doesn’t give the sauce anything to hold onto. Ridges hold sauce and cheese, and sturdier sides make for a well-cooked, not soggy and floppy, noodle.